Pollinger’s Productivity : Aug 2024
By Jonathan Pollinger – Social Media Trainer
| Meta Ad-Revenue Continues To Rise |
| Meta announced its quarterly results this morning and increased its ad-revenue, once again. Businesses across the globe spent a staggering $38 billion over the past quarter on ads, up from $31 billion in the previous quarter. |
| Mark Zuckerberg said, “We had a strong quarter, and Meta AI is on track to be the most used AI assistant in the world by the end of the year,” and went on to say “We’ve released the first frontier-level open source AI model, we continue to see good traction with our Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, and we’re driving good growth across our apps.” |
| Insight: Clearly, Meta ads are working for businesses otherwise they wouldn’t be spending these huge amounts of cash. Have you considered advertising on Facebook or Instagram and if you are, are your efforts being rewarded? |
| Meta Introduces Text Overlays And Music for Posts and Carousels on Instagram |
| Meta continues to improve Instagram with two interesting updates: adding text to regular posts and music to carousel posts. These features aim to provide more creative ways for users and businesses to engage with their audience. |
| Add Text to Regular Posts |
| You can now overlay text on your regular posts, making it easier to highlight key messages, add context, or simply add a personal touch to your photos. Insight: This feature is particularly useful for businesses looking to emphasise important announcements, promotions, or captions without relying on separate text posts. When creating a regular post, select the ‘Add Text’ option to overlay text on your image. Customise the font, size, and colour to match your brand’s style. |
| Music for Carousel Posts |
| Carousel posts just got more dynamic with the ability to add music. This feature allows users to set the tone and mood for their carousel images, enhancing storytelling and engagement. |
| Insight: Adding music can make your posts more immersive and memorable. You could showcase a product range, a series of event photos or a step-by-step tutorial. To use this feature, select the ‘Add Music’ option and choose from Meta’s library of tracks. |
| Instagram Introduces Notes on Reels and Feed Posts |
| Instagram has expanded its Notes feature to include Reels and Feed posts, providing users with a new way to engage with content. Initially introduced for inbox messages, Notes can now be added directly to posts and Reels. This feature allows users to leave short messages, up to 60 characters, that are visible for three days. |
| Notes Can Only Be Left by Mutual Followers – Ensuring A More Intimate & Personal Interaction. |
| Instagram has seen positive feedback from early testers who appreciate the ability to leave quick notes, especially on humorous content. This update is part of Instagram’s ongoing efforts to create more meaningful interactions among users, particularly with their close friends and mutual followers. |
| Insight: There’s quite a bit of confusion about how Notes should be used but I’d recommend sharing casual thoughts and reactions in real-time both for personal and business accounts. |
| Samsung’s New AI-Enhanced Video Call Features |
| Samsung continues to push the boundaries of technology with the introduction of AI-enhanced video call features on its latest devices, including the Z Flip6 phone. These advancements bring a new level of functionality to video calls on platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and Google Meet. |
| AI-powered Video Effects |
| Samsung’s AI smarts offer a range of video effects designed to enhance the quality and professionalism of your video calls. Key features include: |
| – Background blur : Maintain privacy and minimise distractions by blurring your background during video calls. This effect ensures that the focus remains on you, providing a cleaner and more professional appearance. – Auto-focus: The auto-focus feature keeps you in sharp focus, adjusting dynamically as you move. This ensures you always appear clear and well-defined, even if you shift positions during a call. |
| Insight: I’ve used these new AI enhancements on the Z Flip6 for both personal and professional video calls and they work well. |
| SearchGPT: A Smarter Alternative to Google Search? |
| The landscape of search engines has been dominated by Google for years. However, OpenAI has announced SearchGPT which could shake things up. This innovative search engine combines traditional search capabilities with advanced GPT AI technology, promising a more intelligent and context-aware search experience. |
| When you launch SearchGPT, you’re welcomed by a straightforward text box with the prompt, “What are you looking for?” Upon entering your query, SearchGPT does more than just list results like Google. It organises, summarises, and makes sense of the information it finds, providing you with a more cohesive and comprehensive answer. |
| Insights: SearchGPT is positioned as a potentially smarter alternative to Google Search. Its context-aware nature aims to offer users a more relevant and streamlined search experience, making it easier to find and understand information. Could SearchGPT’s approach could revolutionise how we interact with the web? |
| Huge Change To Traditional Search With Complete Overhaul of Bing |
| In addition to SearchGPT, there’s another change to traditional search. Microsoft has unveiled a major update to Bing Search, integrating AI to enhance search results. |
| The new Bing Generative Search will provide detailed AI-generated answers alongside traditional search results. These AI responses, created using large and small language models, will be placed at the top of the search page, with sources listed below. Traditional results will still appear in a sidebar. |
| This update aims to improve user experience by fulfilling search intent more effectively. Currently, it’s available to a small group of users, with plans for broader rollout soon. Question: Having been a Google user since 1997, I’ve now switched to Bing. How about you? |
| New Free Guide: Boost Your Sales With Meta Ads Manager |
| Want to make your ad campaigns more effective? Check out Meta’s new free Sales Objective Guide. You can learn how to find your ideal customers and optimise your campaigns in Meta Ads Manager. |
| Download here to take your sales and ad strategy to the next level. |
| New Resource for Small Businesses Selling on TikTok |
| Small businesses looking to sell products on TikTok now have a valuable new resource. TikTok has released the 2024 CPG Playbook, a comprehensive guide designed to help businesses navigate the platform’s unique selling environment. |
| This guide offers practical tips, insights, and strategies to maximise your reach and sales on TikTok. |
| Insight: If you’re new to TikTok or looking to improve your existing strategy, this playbook covers everything from creating engaging content to understanding TikTok’s shopping features. There are also case studies of successful campaigns to inspire your approach and learn from. |
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